


The Day Before He Left

by thelikesofus



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Budding Love, Coffee Shops, Disappearance, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Happy Ending, I promise it has a happy ending, Kim Mingyu-centric, Leaving, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Meet-Cute, Open to Interpretation, Supportive Jeon Wonwoo, it's pretty open ended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25181050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelikesofus/pseuds/thelikesofus
Summary: Wonwoo always found it interesting how some people could walk into your life and change it in an instant. No matter how briefly they were a part of your life, the effect they had was profound and irreversible.ORWonwoo meets Mingyu at a coffee shop in the early hours of the morning and the events of the day that follows.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups & Jeon Wonwoo, Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan, Jeon Wonwoo & Kim Mingyu, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	The Day Before He Left

_ He had always found it interesting how some people could walk into your life and change it in an instant. No matter how briefly they were a part of your life, the effect they had was profound and irreversible. _   
  
Wonwoo stood on the corner of Dunstan Street and West Avenue taking in the soft glow of the lights shining through the windows of the coffee shop. _Chwe's_ was a small family-owned business and on any other day, was normally not very busy. However, it was the only cafe within five blocks of his apartment that was open at this time of the morning which explained why it was so crowded.   


After approaching the counter and ordering a Caramel Latte, the only seat left was a small booth in the back corner.   
  
This was where he met him. The young man was sitting on one side of the booth, leaning against the worn leather seat as he stared out the foggy window, the morning sun highlighting the lighter streaks in his dark hair.    
  
His eyes seemed to be clouded with doubt, as though he were deciding the fate of the universe; but for all Wonwoo knew he could have been debating between an almond cookie or a chocolate chip one. If it were up to Wonwoo he would suggest the chocolate chip.   
  
Wonwoo slid carefully into the seat opposite him. The man barely acknowledged Wonwoo’s presence other than to glance at him before returning to his own thoughts.   
  
Choosing not to disrupt him, Wonwoo removes the lid of the top of his takeaway cup and takes a sip of the hot liquid.  _ Very hot. _ He withholds a wince as he feels the coffee burn his tongue, quickly putting the cup down on the table and shuffling out of the booth towards the water tank. He fills a glass and then lets the cool water soothe his singed tongue.   
  
He refills the glass before bringing it back to the booth with him. When he returns the man is no longer gazing out the window but is now swirling the marshmallows around his hot chocolate with his finger.   
  
"You’ll burn your finger." Wonwoo is unable to stop himself from stating bluntly. The moment the words leave his mouth he wishes he could take them back as the man halts his movement and stiffens in his seat. Wonwoo holds his breath as the man looks up at him as if he is seeing Wonwoo for the first time. The man smiles slowly, showing off an unhumanly perfect set of teeth, and Wonwoo’s hearts almost stops.   
  
Mr. Pearly Whites removes the finger from his mug and dries it on the hem of his olive green sweatshirt before looking up at Wonwoo again.   
  
"So, do you come here often?" He asks casually.   
  
"Was that supposed to be a pick-up line?" Wonwoo stifles a laugh.   
  
"What? Oh, no. It's just that I haven't seen you here before, and I'm here most mornings." The man explains as Wonwoo tries to focus on the words coming out of his mouth rather than on his perfect teeth. It is  _ far too _ early for this.   
  
"I'm not usually up this early but I couldn't sleep last night." Wonwoo finally manages to reply.   
  
A comfortable atmosphere settles between the two of them as they fall into an easy conversation. The man’s name was Mingyu. He is twenty-three, only a year or so younger than Wonwoo himself. Wonwoo is quietly shocked at how easy he finds talking to Mingyu, interacting with strangers is usually something that he avoids at all costs.   
  
"Do you want to see something?" Mingyu asks abruptly.   
  
"It depends what it is?" Wonwoo responds cautiously.   
  
Mingyu stands up and gestures for Wonwoo to follow. Wonwoo quickly takes his now empty takeaway cup in the bin and follows the other man out the door. The sun is higher in the sky now and the rest of the world is waking up. There are a few more cars on the street as people rush to get to work on time. Wonwoo is grateful to have a day off today, work has been hectic the last few weeks, and he more than welcomes the reprieve. 

Not much is said as he follows Mingyu down Dunstan Street, towards the center of town. Now that he is standing, Wonwoo realizes just how tall he is. Wonwoo has never considered himself short, but Mingyu still has a good couple of inches on him.   
  
"Have you ever been to Middleview Park?" Mingyu asks and again Wonwoo is trying not to get distracted by the way Mingyu drags his long fingers through his hair for at least the third time in the last five minutes.   
  
"Once when I was about seven," Wonwoo replies, pushing down the bitter memories associated with it.   
  
To Wonwoo’s seven-year-old self it had seemed like any other day. His Dad had picked him up after school and they had gotten ice cream from a street vendor. Chocolate and raspberry for Wonwoo and vanilla for his Dad.  Looking back Wonwoo thinks that he should have noticed that something was different, his Dad hated vanilla ice cream.   
  
Wonwoo remembers sitting on a park bench as the ice cream melted all down his fingers, watching a boy about his own age run around feeding the ducks with his mother. All he could remember about the other boy was how happy he looked, laughing and smiling. Wonwoo had asked his Dad if he could also feed the ducks but his Dad had said that they could not as they did not have any bread.   
  
That night when they returned home, Wonwoo’s Dad had tucked him into bed, turned out his light and he kissed his forehead as told him he loved him, and then closed the door. The next morning his Dad’s coat was gone from its usual hook by the front door and Wonwoo found his Mother sat on the couch staring absently at the television even though it was not turned on.

"I take it you this park are not on very good terms?" Mingyu concludes after he must have noticed the sour look on Wonwoo’s face.   
  
"Not really," Wonwoo admits softly.   
  
"Well then, we will have to change that," Mingyu states peppily.   
  
They walk through the front gates of Middleview Park, the huge stone pillars arching over their heads as they walk side by side. Massive oak trees line the cobblestone path that weaves between gardens leading towards the playground. Wonwoo follows Mingyu along the path, passing the many flower beds and at least two small ponds filled with tiny fish.   
  
As soon as the playground comes into view Mingyu shocks Wonwoo once again by grabbing his hand tightly and dragging him along behind him as he runs towards the swing set like an excited little kid.   
  
"Mingyu! Slow down, I'm going to trip over," Wonwoo tries to call after him but Mingyu just laughs and tugs on his hand.   
  
"Hurry up then!" 

When they finally reach the bark chip-covered ground of the playground, Mingyu lets go of his hand and sits himself down on one of the swing seats.   
  
"Give me a push, will you?" He has a massive, cheesy, grin on his face and his eyes are sparkling mischievously.   
  
"You're like a five-year-old." Wonwoo teases as he moves to stand behind him, giving his back a shove to start him swinging.   
  
"A very cute five-year-old." Mingy replies proudly and Wonwoo resists the urge to rolls his eyes at the antics of the other man.

Wonwoo pushes him back and forth for another five or so minutes and before Mingyu jumps from the swing, claiming that it is Wonwoo’s turn and coerces him into switching places.   
  
Mingyu grabs the wires of the swing and pulled Wonwoo back as far as he can before he letting him go and allowing gravity to do the rest of the work.   
  
Wonwoo begins to swing higher and higher than he was able to get Mingyu to and every time he comes back down Mingyu will push him again, sending him flying just a little bit higher than before.   
  
Wonwoo really did feel like he was flying. The wind rushing past his ears, blowing his hair messily over his forehead and into my eyes on the way down and then whipping it out behind him on the way back up again. For the first time in weeks, he feels free. No worries, no responsibilities. Just Mingyu’s hands at his back and the wind on his face.   
  
Suddenly Mingyu grabs the wires again, bringing Wonwoo to an abrupt halt and giving Wonwoo one hell of a fright.   
  
"What did you do that for?" Wonwoo questions, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.   
  
"I want ice cream." Mingyu states.   
  
"Oh, okay then,” Wonwoo belatedly agrees, laughing quietly under his breath as he gets off the swing and follows Mingyu who is already halfway across the grass towards the ice cream truck that had just pulled up. Already there is a line of small children waiting not-so-patiently with their parents.   
  
"One mint-chocolate chip," Mingyu says proudly to the man in the red and yellow striped apron, his name tag proudly displaying the name  _ Seungkwan _ , before turning to Wonwoo.

“Ah, vanilla,” Wonwoo says, almost on instinct. Mingyu raises an eyebrow at him but does not comment as he turns to the man in the truck to pay. Moments later the man, Seungkwan, hands them two cones and they both thank him before stepping out of line and allowing the overly excited child behind them to reach the front of the line.    
  
They spend the next half an hour walking around the park, eating their ice creams, and talking absently about the most bizarre spectrum of topics.   
  
Wonwoo may or may not have got slightly distracted by the bright spark in Mingyu’s eyes as he talked about the importance of ducks to society, allowing his ice cream to start to melt, dripping down his hand. Mingyu just laughs at him before handing him an extra napkin as Wonwoo tries to fight the blush crawling up his neck and threatening to spread across his cheeks.   
  
As midday rolls around they leave the park briefly to get sandwiches from the sandwich shop on the corner that is owned by Wonwoo's friend, Seokmin. After a barrage of teasing and questioning from Seokmin, which Wonwoo very quickly squashed down, they then return to the park, finding a shady patch under a huge oak tree to sit and eat. Once they finish eating Wonwoo leans back against the trunk of the tree next to Mingyu and the two of them stare at the clouds in comfortable silence. 

"Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a bird," Mingyu says, breaking the silence. "To just spread your wings and fly away. Away from this town, away from expectations and prying eyes, away from everything."   
  
Wonwoo only hums in agreement, allowing himself a moment to wrap his head around what might be the most profound thing Mingyu had said to him in the few hours that he has known him. They each sit quietly again, lost in their own thoughts until Mingyu speaks up again.   
  
"My mum used to bring me here all the time when I was little. We would eat ice cream and she would push me on the swings. She always saved the end crusts off our bread so that we could feed the ducks." Wonwoo could not help but notice the downcast look in Mingyu’s dark eyes as if something as simple as a trip to the park hurt to remember. Wonwoo supposed he could empathize with that.   
  
"She got really sick when I was about six. My dad was always busy with work, he claimed she was just pretending to be ill for attention. But she just got sicker and sicker and slowly the trips to the park became few and far between. She passed away six months later.” He pauses for a moment as If gathering his thoughts. 

“My Dad started to bring home 'friends',” Mingyu chuckled bitterly, “Or at least that’s what he called them. But it was a different 'friend' every second night. My guess is that he had been doing the same thing before Mum died too, he just didn't have to hide it anymore, I guess.”

Wonwoo listens quietly, somewhere in the back of his mind he knows that it is probably strange to be sharing sob stories with complete strangers but he supposes that this is something Mingyu has been holding onto for a lifetime. The least that Wonwoo could do was give him someone to talk to, he can listen.   
  
“He never paid much attention to me before Mum got sick, but once she was gone I only got the wrong kind of attention, and after he started drinking it only got worse. It was never anything physical but sometimes words can do just as much damage, you know?” Mingyu glances at Wonwoo as if looking for justification and Wonwoo can only nod softly in reply before Mingyu lets out a sigh and continues. “I tried to stay out of his way as much as I could after that. If there is one thing I want to do with my life, it's to get as far away from him as possible. Sometimes even moving out of home and into my own apartment doesn’t feel like far enough."   
  
Mingyu leans back against the tree with a heavy sigh. His face is flushed and his fists are clenched so tight that his fingernails are digging into the palms of his hands. Feeling unsure of what to say or how he should respond Wonwoo chooses to reach over and cover one of Mingyu’s hands with his own.  Slowly he uncurls the other man’s fingers and runs the pad of his thumb over the dents his nails have made in his palm.   
  
After a moment Mingyu wraps his long fingers around Wonwoo’s hand and clutches it tightly. Wonwoo squeezes back, understanding that this was all that Mingyu needed. Comfort. To know that someone was there, that someone would listen, maybe even that he meant something to someone. They rest peacefully for a time, neither of them concerned with what would come next.   
  
"Let's go back to the swing." Mingyu finally breaks the silence. He stands up, pulling Wonwoo with him. They walk back to the playground, ducking under low hanging branches and avoiding the flower beds as their hands swing casually between them. They take turns on the swing again as the smile slowly returns to Mingyu’s face. As he relaxes, the sparkle returns to his eyes. He laughs like a hyena when Wonwoo falls off the end of the slide, and although both his tailbone and his pride are bruised, Wonwoo decides it was worth it to see Mingyu looking alive again.   
  
As the sun begins to set, turning the sky orange, Wonwoo admits that he should probably head for home. His roommate, Seungcheol, is expecting him for dinner at six and it will take at least twenty minutes for Wonwoo to walk back to their apartment.   
  
He and Mingyu walk back together, as far as _Chwe's_ coffee shop.   
  
"Thank you," Mingyu says softly as they stand outside the 'closed' sign now hanging in the front window.   
  
"For what?" Wonwoo asks, raising an eyebrow at him.   
  
"For coming with me today, for listening. It meant a lot." He smiles at Wonwoo.   
  
Wonwoo stares at him for a moment before making the rash decision to step forward and wrap his arms around Mingyu’s neck, hugging him tightly. He feels Mingyu stiffened for a moment before he relaxes, his own arms coming up to circle around Wonwoo’s waist as he buries his face in the shorter man’s hair. The hug does not last long but when they pull away from each other the street lights have come on, flooding the footpath with a soft, yellowish hue.   
  
As he steps back Wonwoo smiles at the man in front of him and watches as Mingyu slowly smiles back. With a soft nod and one last quiet smile, the two of them part ways as Wonwoo turns away and starts walking home.   
  
Seungcheol greets him with a pat of the back and a plate full of spaghetti already waiting for him on the table. Wonwoo thanks him and promises to make his favorite nachos tomorrow night, however, he struggles to carry a conversation with his roommate throughout dinner. His mind is too caught up with thoughts and Mingyu and the bizarre phenomenon that was the day he had just had.

* * *

  
  
For the next two weeks, Wonwoo finds himself sitting in the back booth at _Chwe’s_ every morning before work. His caramel latte slowly going cold in front of him as he raises his head to gaze at the customers every time the chime at the front door rings. He does not see Mingyu again and by the end of the third week, he is starting to wonder why he continues coming. In this time, he seems to have made tentative friends with the boy who manages the till. Vernon, or Hansol (Wonwoo is still not sure which name the boy prefers to go by), is the son of the couple who owns the cafe and after describing Mingyu to him, Vernon claims that he has not seen the other man since the day Wonwoo met him.    
  
Wonwoo is surprised at the way his heart sinks at the thought that he may never see Mingyu again but reminds himself that maybe it is better that way. This town is small enough that Wonwoo is sure he would have run into him somewhere by now. If not at  _ Chwe’s _ then maybe the supermarket, or the bank or even at the park where Wonwoo has taken to spending his Saturday afternoons, sat alone on a park bench with a vanilla ice cream slowly melting down his fingers. He supposes that maybe if Mingyu is nowhere to be found here, then maybe he finally found a way to fly and Wownoo can only be happy for him if that is the case.

  
  


**_TWO YEARS LATER_ **

Wonwoo is running late, so very late. A freak power outage in his apartment building had meant that his alarm clock had failed to wake him this morning and with Seungcheol now spending half of his time at his new boyfriend, Jeonghan’s, apartment, he had not been home to rouse Wonwoo from his death-like slumber.

To make matters worse, Wonwoo has just started a new job for a local publishing firm and although he could not be happier for the opportunity, he is starting right at the bottom of the food chain. Much to his disdain, one of the newest jobs that had been added to his morning was to collect coffees for the publishers working in his sector on his way to the office. 

This is how he found himself charging through the front door of  _ Chwe’s _ with only fifteen minutes to spare and hoping that Vernon can pull a coffee brewing miracle out of thin air.

“Please tell me you have a magician working for you this morning!” Wonwoo calls as he is rushing up to the counter. Vernon regards him with a playful glint in his eyes, taking in Wonwoo’s frazzled appearance and almost inability to get his words out around his heaving breaths.

“Something even better!” Chan, the new part-timer comes to stand beside Vernon as he places two carry trays already filled with coffees in front of Wonwoo. Wonwoo's jaw almost hits the floor as he watches Vernon start to ring up Wonwoo’s order on the till as Chan continues to grin widely at him. Still feeling dumbfound, Wonwoo hands Vernon the company credit card to pay for his order as he shakes himself out of his stupor. 

“I own you both, big time,” Wonwoo claims, reaching across the counter to squeeze Chan’s shoulder as a thank you. After Vernon returns his card to him, Wonwoo collects the coffee trays, still too focused on profusely thanking the two boys in front of him to notice the door chiming behind him.    


Throwing one final thank you over his shoulder, Wonwoo turns around, coffees in hand, and with the aim to rush on out the door again, only to almost collide with the tall man standing behind him waiting to order.

There in front of him, in dark blue jeans and the same olive green sweatshirt as the first time they had met, stood none other than Mingyu.  Wonwoo thanks whatever God prevented him from dropping the armful of coffees he was holding at that very moment as his heart all but stops in his chest.

“Hi, Wonwoo.” The man in front of him says softly, a quiet grin spreading across his lips, a hit of the same perfectly white teeth that Wonwoo had marveled over the first time they met just barely peaking through. “Long time, no see!”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello,  
> This is my first contribution to the Seventeen fandom! I've been meaning to write something for these boys for a long time. This is actually a piece that I wrote a long time ago but I have adapted it and elaborated on it so that it became something worth reading. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Kudo? Comments? Honestly they mean the world to mean so please do let me know what you think about this story.
> 
> Much love,  
> Meegs xx


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